Professor Dorsa Sadigh and her research team have developed several novel robotic algorithms for autonomously and comfortably accomplishing each step of the feeding process for a variety of food types. One algorithm combines computer vision and haptics to evaluate the angle and speed at which to insert a fork into a food item; another uses a second robotic arm to push food onto a spoon; and a third delivers food into a person’s mouth in a way that feels natural and comfortable.

“The hope is that by making progress in this domain, people who rely on caregiver assistance can eventually have a more independent lifestyle,” states Priya Sundaresan, CS PhD candidate.

Read their publications on skewering, scooping, and bite transfer

• Learning Visuo-Haptic Skewering Strategies for Robot-Assisted Feeding
• Learning Bimanual Scooping Policies for Food Acquisition
• In-Mouth Robotic Bite Transfer with Visual and Haptic Sensing

Learn more about Dorsa and her research lab, Stanford ILIAD – Intelligent and Interactive Autonomous Systems Group.

Excerpted from Stanford HAI, "Building a Precise Assistive-Feeding Robot That Can Handle Any Meal"